Thermostatically-operated regulating or controlling apparatus



June 14, 1949. w., w. HAMILL THERMOSTATICALLY-OPERATED REGULATING OR CONTROLLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1946 Muenor 40%; t ll I Adv/ m June 14, 1949. w. w. HAMILL THERMOSTATICALLY-OPERATED REGULATING 0R CONTROLLING APPARATUS 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 31, 1946 Patenteci June 14, 1949 THERMOSTATICALLY-OPERATED REGU- LATING OR CONTROLLING APPARATUS William Wilson Hamill, Little Aston, England Application' January 31, 1946, Serial No. 644,549 In Great Britain February 17, 1945 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to thermostaticallyoperated apparatus for regulating or controlling temperature or rate of flow of fluids, of the kind in which a member having an oscillatory motion about an axis is adapted to co-act with ports or orifices in a body where through flow streams of fluid at different temperatures which streams -may be mixed to provide a single stream, or

whereby a single stream is divided into a plurality according to the particular mode of functioning of the apparatus, the said member being actuated by a temperature-responsive element, the expansion and contraction of which provides the force needed to move the control member.

Since the aforesaid force is of a comparatively low order, it is desirable that the frictional resistance opposing motion of the control member shall be as low as may be, and the purpose of the present invention is the provision of a mounting for the member by which the frictional losses are reduced. Other objects will appear in a perusal of the following description.

Accordingly, the present invention consists in mounting or supporting the control member in such a manner that it is subject only to constraint applied at or in the region of the axis about which it moves and at two spaced Zones. As these two zones are at the axis or oscillation centre of the member, friction can be confined to areas of small diameter and the peripheral surface or outside boundaries kept out of rubbing contact or only in light contact with the bore or equivalent surfaces such as segments wherein are formed the orifices controlled.

A further feature of the invention consists in a coupling between the actuating element and the control member which is of such nature that it transmits torqu only so that the expanding movement or the contracting movement of the element apart from the anchored end is not restricted or restrained, neither are motions nor stresses arising therefrom other than rotary imparted to the control member which thereby is freed from pressure from the element except that applied in a rotary direction.

By the aforesaid characteristics, friction losses are lowered and sensitivity is improved.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1 and 2 show in sectional elevation an embodiment of the invention incorporating an annular segment type of control member. Figure 3 is a sectional view of an instrument having a flat or disc type of control member. Figures 4, "5, 6 and 7 show a coupling arranged to transmit torque only from coil to control member.

In one convenient embodiment of the invention as depicted in Figures 1 and 2, the two end bearings l, 2 of the control member 5 are preferably of cone formation and of comparatively small diameter; preferably the male cone 2 is fast with the boss 4 of the thermostatic element 5. Such formation combines both axial and radial support and restraint, and may be incorporated in a variety of ways.

One bearing l or if desired both bearings is or are spring urged in an axial direction as by a coiled compression spring 5 to provide a follow-up action for wear, to facilitate assembly, to limit the loading under conditions of varying temperature or stresses set up by over-tightening or pull of pipework, and to accommodate shock, knock, or vibration.

The angle included by the male cone may be less than that subtended by the female cone or seat l, 8 in order further to reduce the extent of the friction surfaces; a ball or ball-ended member may b substituted for the male cone; the seats may be placed in the control member and the cones or balls on the static parts as illustrated, or vice-versa; and the follow-up part or parts is or are mounted in a long bearing for durability. The wearing surfaces may be of or coated with metal e. g. chrominum directed to reduce wear.

The temperature-sensitive element may be of conventional kind consisting of a bi-metallic spiral or coil anchored at one end preferably at the innermost turn 9, and connected to the control member at its outer convolution, said inner ment having an annular casing 12 and a control member 3 with two diametrically-opposed annular segments I3 which are clear of the body except for end strips 14 which are either arranged for light contact with the relevant surfaces l5 of th body bore, or just clear thereof. In Figures 3 and i, the regulating portion [6 of the control member l1 consists of a fiat segment which coacts with flat surfaces l8 surrounding the regulated orifices; the spring-urged cone-ended plunger is is carried in the stub spindle III of the thermostatic element 5; and the fixed cone 20 is fast with the back plate 2| or the body,

Control members preferably inherently as in Figure 2 or by the addition of balance weights added to the fiat member of Figure 3 arranged so that the member is dynamically balanced; where such weights and arms are they are placed to avoid obstruction to 'fiow.

With advantage, the coil and adius'ting means are carried on a detachable end plate 22 Fig:- ure 1 or 23 Figure 3 of the casing by theremdval of which the control member can be readily withdrawn. Assembly or dis-assembly are materially facilitated.

Any appropriate form bf coupling between the outer end of the coil and the control member, having the afore-mentioned characteristic of transmission of torque only, may be used e. g. as shown in Figures 4 and -5 a slot 24 in and transverse to the coil end 25 engaging a pin 26 con-- nected to the "control member to yield two de- *grees of freedom, one axially and the other trans versely of the pin, and one degree of constraint to transmit movement by way of the side walls of the slot and the flat engaging periphery of the pin. Rotary motion is also possible about the first and second axes corresponding to the two said degrees of freedom. The third axis of rotary motion is provided conveniently by means of a circular sleeve 21 having ring segments 28 engaging the ends of the pin, which sleeve is journal'ly mounted in a bracket '29 having two segments 29a between which lies the end of the coil, and a foot or flange base portion 2-91) for connection to the control member.

Another torque-transmitting means is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. This facilitates assembly or disconnection of the two parts by simple relative endwise movement and includes two :pieces one of which 30 consists of a short spindle fixed at one end to the coil 25 and formed-at the other 31 to a ball shape. The other piece 32, fixed to the control member, has a segmental circular bore 33 which engages the said ball end.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: v

1. A control apparatus comprising, in combination, a body member having a bore therein, ports in said body member and opening into said bore, a spindle mounted in one side of said bore and pivotally supported by said body member, means for regulating the pivotal displacement of said spindle, spaced anti friction bearing members supported by said body member and said spindle, said bearing "members being in opposed relation and axially aligned relative to each other and to the pivotal axisof said spindle, a control member mounted ins'a'id bore and lpivotally supported by said bearing members, said control member being mounted between said bearing members "and having axially aligned, anti-fric- 4 tion bearing elements on opposite sides thereof for cooperating with said spaced bearing members, one of said bearing members being resiliently biased axially toward the other of said members to take up wear, said control member having a control portion substantially in contact with the wall of said bore in the region of said ports and movable relative to said ports upon pivotal action of said control member, and a thermostatic element within said bore and secured between said spindle and said control member to pivotally actuate the latter in accordance with temperature conditions within said bore in relation to the pivotal displacement of said spindle.

2. Control apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the bearing members comprise protruding tapered bearing ends and the bearing elements of said control member comprise dished sockets for nesting said ends.

3. Control apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the port containing wall of said bore is fiat, the control portion is juxtaposed relative to said flat wall and extends radially of the pivotal axis of the control member, and the resiliently positioned bearing member is on the side 'of said control member opposite the wall side of said control portion to bias the control portion substantially into contact with said flat wall.

4. Control apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the resiliently positioned bearing member comprises a stub shaft slidably mounted in a socket, and a spring is mounted in said socket behind said stub shaft to bias said shaft outwardly.

6. Control apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the thermostatic element and the control member are connected by means transmit ting only rotary movement and permitting other relative movement therebetween.

6. Control apparatus as defined in 'claim 1 wherein the thermostatic element and the control member are connected by means of a round element on one of said parts and a slotted sleeve element on the other of said parts and surrounding said round element, the slot in said sleeve extending transversely of the direction of rotation of said control member to transmit rotative movement while permitting lateral movement fthereb'e'tween, the longitudinal edges of said slot being beveled :to permit a swivel action between said round and sleeve elements.

WILLIAM WILSGN HAMI-LL.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenices are of record in the file of this patent:

UNlf'IED STATES PATENTS PATENTS Num er 7 Country :Date

558,259 Great Britain Dec. 29, 1943 698,688 France Nov. 28, 1-930 

